New BSkyB CEO to be decided today

British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) will hold a board meeting this afternoon to decide who will be the company's new chief executive.

The board of BSkyB is widely expected to appoint Chairman Rupert Murdoch's 30-year-old son James to the position of chief executive.

The appointment is opposed by a number of institutional shareholders in the company who have expressed concerns about the selection process. They fear that his appointment would compromise BSkyB's independence from News Corp, Rupert Murdoch's media group which owns 35.4% of BSkyB.

Tony Ball, the current chief executive, is set to stand down by the end of May.

The company has declined to comment on when the decision will be announced to the market.